Futuristic Dubai office showcases 3-D printing's potential

A small group of employees in Dubai is starting to move into a new workspace that the emirate says is the world's first functional office building made using three-dimensional printer technology. Looking like a mashup of a "Jetsons" abode and an Apple Store, the compact office was printed out layer by layer over 17 days at a cost of 140,000, said Saif al-Aleeli, the CEO of a government initiative called the Dubai Future Foundation that is behind the project. Products made using 3-D printing are first designed on a computer and then printed out using a variety of materials, including metal, plastic and concrete. But the foundation says its Dubai office is the first "fully functional 3-D printed building," constructed with full services and meant for daily use.